View Full Version : Dead and near dead hives.
Whitey
05-04-2005, 03:44 PM
It appears the wind blew my covers off my hives a few weeks ago. It has rained prety hard off and on and been as cold as the high 30's at night. I went out last evening to inspect the hives and they are nearly dead. One hive has maybe 50 bees. The other maybe 200. When I inspect the frames I can see dead larvae in some but most have the bottom of the cells filled with a white paste. I assume this is dead larvae decomposing? There is no smell. Any ideas? the real bummer is I can find no pacakge bees available to start over.
3 year old hives 3 deeps full of honey and drawn comb each hive.
Michael Bush
05-04-2005, 04:40 PM
I'd combine whatever is left and see what they do. Don't bother with newspaper or whatever, just put all the frames of bees together in a box with any brood the looks like it MIGHT be viable. If the weather isn't too cold even fairly cold capped brood sometimes has some bees emerging. If you can provide a bit of heat even more might emerge. Odds are with that few bees they won't make it, but it couldn't hurt.
Meantime see if you can find someone nearby with bees who might sell you a few frames of brood and bees. Are there any queens?
Whitey
05-04-2005, 05:30 PM
I did not find a queen and no eggs.
These hive are doomed. Keep looking, someone has bees. Also go down to the local PD and fire Dept and let them know you'll capture swarms. You will get plenty of referrals and a couple of good swarms could get you right back into the season. Let us know how you do.